How to Care for a Pregnant Cat

It may be surprising to know that it is easy for a female cat to become pregnant. A cat reproductive cycle begins as early as 4 months of age and can become pregnant that early. Cats were designed to give birth in the warm months and are typically reproductively active in the spring, summer, and fall, although this is not the case 100% of the time. Cats can be sneaky about their heat cycles and can easily become pregnant when in heat. All it takes is for the female cat to escape outside and meet a male or a young pair of male and female cats who live together to mate while you unexpectedly thought they were too young to do so.

@ikvyatkovskaya / Freepik

Ideally, a pet should be fully vaccinated, dewormed, on regular flea prevention, and tested negative for the feline leukemia virus (FELV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). In many cases, a young pet will become pregnant before these important details have been addressed. If you find out your pet is pregnant by accident and has not been vaccinated, it is best not to vaccinate until after birth. If the mother cat has not been vaccinated, the kittens are often born more prone to birth defects and illnesses.

READ MORE: How long does a Cat stay in Heat

What are the signs if your Cat is Pregnant?

If you didn’t realize your cat became pregnant, you may start to notice that her belly becomes larger and rounder and her nipples are swollen and more noticeable. You might notice that there is milk coming from her nipples (lactating) or that she has an increased appetite. As the pet gets closer to giving birth, she will nest and try to find a secluded, warm, dark place to spend time as she gets reading to give birth. She will typically give birth in this secluded place, out of the way of traffic and noise.

READ MORE: Signs that your Cat is going into Labor

If you suspect your pet is pregnant and wants to know for sure, your veterinarian can run some diagnostic tests to confirm it. If the cat is about 25-35 days along, an ultrasound can be used to detect fetal heartbeats and see kittens in the uterus. Not every veterinary clinic has an ultrasound and it may be a little more expensive of a test. If the pet is 45 or more days along, a radiograph, or x-ray, can be used to find the fetal skeletons and count roughly how many kittens she will give birth to. Depending on how far along the cat is, and what the body condition is, your veterinarian may be able to palpate kittens.

How long is a Cat Pregnant?

Cats are pregnant for around 2 months, 60-63 days to be exact. Since their gestation period is so short, a pet can get pregnant more than once in a year.

What should I do for my Pregnant Cat?

@Ludemeula Fernandes

A pregnant cat requires little special care. You will want to make sure she has a warm, dry, and secluded area to give birth and nutritious food to eat. Freshwater should be available at all times and she should have at least one, but preferably more, clean litter boxes. It is ideal that your pet is on a flea preventative, as fleas will suck blood from the mother and kittens causing them to become anemic, which if severe, can lead to death.

RELATED: Best Flea Treatment for Cats reviews

What is the best thing to feed a Pregnant Cat?

The best food to feed a pregnant pet is one approved for growth. This is usually a high-quality kitten food. A pregnant and nursing cat will require more nutrients and calories than a regular adult pet. A mother cat should be on the high-quality kitten food until the kittens are weaned and eating that food on their own.

How do you know when a Cat is about to give birth?

@Tobias

Signs that your cat is getting ready to give birth include:

• Secluding themselves to a quiet dark place
• Restlessness
• Grooming more than normal
• Nesting
• Pacing around

These signs are all part of the first labor stages, which can last anywhere from several hours to a whole day.

The second stage of labor is when the mother pet starts having contractions and the kittens are born. A kitten is born every 30-60 minutes and usually, the whole litter is born in around 6 hours. However, if the mother pet becomes stressed or distracted during labor, she can stop and start again the next day. If there are strong contractions but a kitten isn’t born within an hour, she should be taken to see a veterinarian right away.

The third stage of labor is when the placenta is passed.

READ MORE: Can a Spayed Cat get Pregnant

References:

• https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952101
• https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/routine-care-and-breeding-of-cats/breeding-and-reproduction-of-cats?query=cat%20gestation